The sands of time swirled through his mind... It seemed to take shape - no. It was only his imagination. The Sahara desert was not usually his preferred travel destination, but it was far away from his normal area of operations and, right now, that was precisely what he needed. After much thought, and days of isolating himself from human contact entirely, Albus decided that he needed to earn some income, all while paying a visit to a mystical oasis that he had so often read about.
It was a scorching hot day but the problem was defused by a quick cooling charm. There's nothing more satisfying than a shade under the scorching heat, coupled with a glass of cold water. He sensed footsteps, streams of consciousness, in the surroundings. Nothing magical though, as it appeared to be the passing of a Tuareg rider. Should it need be, Albus had the ability to disguise himself.
He struggled to shake off the thought of the time turner, perpetually lingering in the corners of his mind. It is not as if he wasn't aware of the perils of time traveling and creating potential paradoxes— but part of him scoffs at the prospect of imperiling the present. The present offered him nothing. He was an isolated man, with a few tenuous contacts and commercial contracts here and there, perhaps a few old friends who did not think ill of him, a little nephew who had not yet figured out what a shitty human being he is and parents who—
No. It had been weeks, months, even years since Albus last pondered about Harry and Ginny Potter. How was Head Auror Potter, indeed? His latest glimpse of the papers seemed to indicate that the man was alive and well, but how well really was dad? Maybe there was an element of guilt but Albus could not bring himself to comprehend it. He had screwed up in every possible way and chances of reconciliation were waning— blood may be thicker than water but blood ties are meaningless when stretched to thin. No doubt Harry viewed him as an international criminal that must be hunted down. Was he heartbroken —? And Ginny, mother, bless her, what would she think of him now? Ginny, who was always so accommodating, so understanding, no doubt she would want to disown him too if she had known the truth. Both his parents, did they know?
But if he had that Time Turner, would he be able to fix everything? A quick act of drugging Delphi on that fateful day, coupled with a few targeted assassinations, pre-warnings, quick reconciliation with Scorpius—
He was getting ahead of himself, letting his imagination run wild. But what if it were true? What if something could be done?
He would be home for Christmas, chatting merrily with his father about the happenings of the world, getting admonished like a child by his mother over another round of playful banter with James, as Lily laughs in the corner… He'd be able to meet his nieces and nephews in a not so illicit situation — he had picked up from the tabloids that James had had even more children, the madman — and maybe even have children of his own, being doted uncontrollably by Grandma Weasley. Rose and Scorpius would be there too and it would be as if nothing had happened. It would —
What would they say if they came face to face with him today?
~X~
The shadowing project with Cornelius Mulciber transpired to be the most fruitless endeavor in the entirety of Morrison's (short) life. Apparently, the lead singer was paranoid about being attacked by gangsters hired by rival record producers. There appears to be no other clue of illegality. Such is the way. On the bright side, he had a lot of time to spend with his brother.
"So brother, tell me how is your job at the Aurors going?" Cedric Wilders, Morrison's insufferable twin brother, inquired. "I know intellectually, it's less of a challenge than navigating the nooks and crannies of the English justice system…"
~X~
The conversation was Douglas Bulstrode was interesting, if rather unfruitful so far, vacillating between talk on Quidditch and Douglas chiding Neil for not pursuing a career in Quidditch. "Honestly Neil, I was with you at Alumni Day. You could've been one of the best Seekers on the market… Man, don't know what you're thinking. What does your brother say?"
"Same thing," Neil admitted, biting his lip. Ah Lawrence… They have not spoken since that night — although his brother had begrudgingly agreed to receive him in America after Neil wrote a letter of apology. "I'll have to admit, I really missed playing Quidditch. It's nice seeing everyone that day too. So many faces to catch up with… so much has changed. Some of my classmates are doing things I would never have imagined."
"Yeah, at least your year didn't produce an international criminal."
There was an awkward silence. Neil had planned to bring up the topic of Albus Potter more subtly than that, but it seemed like the guy before him was already eager to talk.
"Look, Neil, I like you, you seem like a cool guy, but let's be real. I saw the news and I'm not blind to the kerfuffle around us. You wanted to ask me about Albus Potter."
"Well, Douglas, if you say so," Neil admitted, "Have you heard anything about him?"
"Probably inasmuch as you have," came the explanation, " I know you're not some sort of Legilimens, like Albus, but I assure you I have no intention of deceiving you. But no, I have not been in touch with Albus Potter since"— Neil felt himself tense, anticipating Douglas's next words —"since, well, the fiasco at the Ministry all the years ago."
"I take it that you were in touch with him before, like my brother was," Neil said, trying to prod for answers. "I was at Hogwarts so I wasn't with my family 24/7, but I knew the Sons of Walpurgis, everyone did. It was all the talk in our House. Mostly people who are terrified, concerned about their families out there… They were trying to recruit everyone, but everyone was more afraid than anything else—"
"Indeed, I received a lot of unsolicited mails and calls," Douglas responded. "It's… hard, dealing with them all. They started small but pretty soon they were threatening my parents too. I mean— By the way I can personally attest that Albus Potter is in no way connected to the Sons of Walpurgis. He did his best to pass on important information to me and all of his friends to forewarn us about potential attacks and members. He was also committed to everyone's safety and even suggested Auror protection. Of course I never took that up because things were never too serious for my family. We were never exactly Death Eaters."
That brought back certain unpleasant memories for Neil. "My family did, actually," Neil explained almost to himself, "You know— with our history... Of course, mother and father seriously considered relocating to safe place in Mallorca, but my brother reckoned that would not have been enough to keep them safe. They reached him all the way in America. I was still in Hogwarts so they thought I would be safe, but — I — I did receive threatening messages and although no one I knew was particularly sympathetic to the Sons of Walpurgis, you can never be sure." He swallowed inadvertently, shutting his eyes and recalled the hushed halls of Hogwarts after someone had been attacked at Hogsmeade. The Dark Mark had shot through the sky, radiating nauseating green light. "But you know, at the same time, people were suspecting my family too. After all, our history is not as untainted as yours or other milder pureblood families. Even after we requested the help fo the Aurors. Mother suspected that they agreed in part to keep an eye on us. I had to meet with this guy— well, he's a director now — Director MacLaggen — actually, he's on my team but that's a story for another time — once every few weeks. He kept asking me question after question after question... Sometimes almost accusatorily... It sucks. Not being trusted and all. By anyone."
"Wow," Douglas said before Neil realized this was the first time he really had the chance to convey these feelings out loud. "Sounds like you got issues."
"Look, I'm not saying I joined the Aurors to prove anything — but"— one look at Douglas's skeptical face salted it —"Okay maybe that was part of the reason. Only a small part. Quidditch was fun but Quidditch players party way too hard for my liking — no offense!"
"You know Neil, you're supposed to be the one interrogating me," Douglas commented with a small, wry and amused smile. "I appreciate your heartfelt honesty, but I am afraid I don't think I can give you any information that would've helped except that I have strong suspicions that your brother has been in touch with Albus Potter, if only intermittently."
"And why is that?" Neil had possessed such speculations himself, but he needed to pull out concrete reasoning.
"Well, they were fairly good friends — not as close as Albus and Scorpius back in the day, but quite close, if only after Second-Year, when all the feuding and mutual bullying stopped because our Potions Master insisted on pairing them together in class," Douglas said, "No but that day — during Alumni day, your brother was there with us and he seemed ... off. We were all in the stands, but he left for Hogsmeade earlier than us. Said he wanted to save us a place at the bar. I arrived soon after the Quidditch match actually to maximize my chances of stocking up butterbear before the place gets too crowded and your brother was alone. Look I'm not 100% sure about it all but the seat next to him was still warm. And he looked like he was sweating a lot and had just dodged a bullet. Maybe, just maybe, he met up with someone?"
"Albus Potter?"
"Perhaps. Who else would it be?"
'Well, there's a lot of people my brother could've clandestinely met up with. But then again he wasn't even supposed to be at Hogwarts. He was supposed to be looking after great-great grandma— yes, that one." They both chuckled. "All of this is spurious evidence of course, but thank you for your time."
"Hey don't leave yet, there's a match between the Horned Hornets and the Holyhead Harpies. Watch it with me," Douglas offered, grinnning.
~X~
Nervously, Lily Luna Potter, knocked. She had never been particularly close with her brother's friends, although they were mostly on cordial terms. Back in Hogwarts, Albus rarely spent any time with her and their family in Gryffindor, preferring company in the dungeons. But still, both Lucas and Hector were very eager to interview her. It wasn't just any interview that she promised — it would be long, intimate and personal conversations, the first of its kind regarding the Potter family. No taboos.
"How is it, growing up as the daughter of Harry Potter?"
"Pretty normal, actually. I never really bothered with all the press and paparazzi. I had a very happy childhood, great family, great friends. Sure, I'd be worried about dad at the Aurors from time to time but nothing too serious, at least back when I was younger."
"Are you seeing anyone?"
"Not now. I've had a few relationships in the past. None of them worked out too well."
"How many?"
"Five … I think?"
"Why are you an Auror? Did you not like working at 's?"
"Well, I enjoyed my time there but being a purely medical Healer wasn't the path for me. I prefer my current job now where I get to work more on the field."
"Ah, the Potter legacy?"
"I'm not sure you could put it that way?"
"How is James Potter doing?"
"My brother is very well—"
"Can you comment on the Daily Prophet's column about his tax evasion activities?"
"His what?!"
"Oh come on Hector, it's long been a disproven story!"
"I just want her perspective on things!"
"Well my perspective says that James Potter is not involved in any tax evasion, especially considering how my sister-in-law is an active member of the Tax Enforcement division… And he's not keeping any money from her!"
"Do you play Quidditch? I think I remember seeing you on the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
"Well yes, I was a Chaser, just like my mother."
"Is Ginny well?"
"Yes. Very much."
"Is Rose well?"
"Not bad considering all she went through in the past few years."
"Blue or red?"
"Are you asking me about my colour preferences…?"
"Applebee Arrows or Puddlemore United?"
"A close one, but I think Puddlemore would take the trophy this year."
"What's your Patronus like?"
"Dude, that's a private question—"
"It's okay, I don't mind. It's a ferret."
"Ah."
"Have you, like, ever tried pulling the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sort Hat?'
"Lucas, what kind of question is that?!"
"I want to know! Remember how we all failed to do it back in Sixth Year and got into trouble?"
"That's because we aren't Gryffindors smartypants!"
"No, I haven't..."
"If you are stuck on a deserted island, what are the three non-essential items you would bring along?"
"Lucas, that's an even stupider question—"
"A subscription to the Weekly Herbology Magazine, nail polish to pass the time and maybe a pet cat?"
"Tame."
"Be nice!"
"Do you think your father will keep his position for long?"
"I'm sorry I'm not sure what you mean by that—"
"With the current political furore, with the—"
"Ah I see what you mean. The truth is you never know, my dad's been through a lot I don't think—"
"What Lucas is saying, I take, is that do you think Harry Potter will suffer from the political fallout following the Auror department's complete inability to rein in Albus Potter?"
"Be more discrete Hector! Albus is her brother! That and—"
"Oh shut up!"
"You shut up and let her speak!"
"Gentlemen, all I can say is that my father and the rest of the Auror department, myself included, are doing their best to ensure the safety of England and the rest of the Wizarding World. But this is no ordinary challenge—"
"Okay but is your dad deliberately hiding Albus Potter from trouble? What is your view on all the theories propagated by Secret News? I'm not trying to be accusatory because I know you're all decent people but what's your opinion?"
"What theories?"
"Well, the one about Harry Potter letting your brother slip away instead of capturing him and placing him in Azkaban."
"But that's nonsense!"
"Well, understandably, the news market nowadays is full of misinformation…"
"Do you still talk to your brother?"
"Hector! Don't ask her that!"
"No. Do you guys?"
"No," both of them echoed swiftly.
"Someone is still keeping in contact with him, apparently. That's what some theories in the Auror department are presupposing."
"Wouldn't be surprised. Dude, Lucas, I'm very sure Albus was in Hogwarts back when —"
"What even are you suggesting?"
"My cousin's daughter said there was a lockdown that night and some student sneaked into the Library's Forbidden Section— but what if it isn't just 'some student'?"
"How are you even getting all of this information?"
"It's all heresy and as an individual who is very sensitive to the standards of journalistic integrity—"
"Oh cut it…"
"Okay I enjoy hearing about Hogwarts gossip, okay? My cousin's daughter, such a sweet girl by the way, told me she overheard a conversation between a Librarian and her Head of House about a missing book. Apparently it's full of stuff about the Dark Arts and some professors doing high level research wanted to use it only to find that it was gone—"
"Yo, remind me again, why did you keep this from everyone?"
"I didn't! You never asked! No one ever asked! Besides, it's just a rumor!"
"Ugh! Sorry Lily, lets keep up with the interview, I'll handle the guy later…"
~X~
When Neil met Darius for tea, he made sure to request a small vial of Versiraterum beforehand from the medical department. Not everyone was going to be as helpful as Douglas.
"There's no confirmed cure for the Maladicti but I know St. Mungo's does possess the required herbs and potions to mitigate their symptoms," Darius explained after Neil began asking.
"Yeah, I'm just really concerned for a friend," Neil replied. "But I wonder if it's possible to, well, find a way to delay the transformation?"
"Neil, I've traversed the Amazon forest and began a totem documenting all the rare herb species there and — there might be something. I met with secretive pockets of Wizarding communities and there's a type of root that reportedly slows down the transformation. Chutt," Darius said, swallowing, as if he was resisting something — the truth? — "Yes, the name is Chutt. They specialize in unorthodox healing methods and related Herbology. I knew about it because—"
The man looked visibly uncomfortable.
"Are you alright?" Neil appeared concerned. (He was, but he knew that this was also a possible effect of the Versiraterum.)
"— Albus Potter sent me a letter talking about it. I— I've not been in contact with him otherwise. I don't even know where he is but for some reason, the guy occasionally sends me postcards and letters. Maybe to be nice. I don't know. I actually tried asking about the Wizards in Chutt about him but it appears that their memories were wiped when I visited. Oh Merlin... You— Oh Neil, did you do something to my tea?!"
Shit.
A/N: Staying home because of Coronavirus has given me a new impetus to procrastinate on Fanfiction.
COMING NEXT... Cynthia's date, the Nott brothers reunite (and feud), Nigel navigates Hogwarts, Thomas figures out something is quite wrong and the Potters congregate for Christmas :D
